An explosion has been reported on the only road and rail link between Russia and Crimea, with video showing a tanker burning and part of the Kerch bridge sinking into the sea.
Key Points:
- Russia’s state news agency said a fuel tank was on fire on the bridge
- The Ukrainian official called the explosion “the beginning” without claiming responsibility for Ukraine
- The bridge is the longest in Europe and connects Crimea with Russia’s transport network
Traffic was suspended on the road-rail bridge, which opened in 2018 and links Crimea to Russia’s transport network.
“A fuel tank is on fire in one of the sections of the Crimean bridge,” Russian state news agency RIA said, citing a regional official, but without specifying the cause.
“The shipping bows are not damaged.”
Ukrainian media said the explosion on the bridge took place around 6 a.m. local time.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser posted a message on Twitter, calling the blast “the beginning,” but without directly claiming responsibility for Ukraine.
“Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled,” wrote Mykhailo Podolyak.
Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the bridge in 2018, after Crimea was annexed by Ukraine in 2014, amid sanctions and a deterioration in ties with the West.
The bridge is 19 kilometers long, making it the longest bridge ever built in Russia and the longest bridge in Europe.
In September, Russia announced the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces after holding referendums that Kyiv and the West say were fake exercises held at gunpoint.
Reuters